The Elastic Closet A History of Homosexuality in France, 1942-present [Hardcover]

A history of French homosexuals since 1942 in the interconnected realms of law, politics and the media, with a focus on the complex relationship between French republican values and the possibilities they have offered for change in each of these three spheres.Acknowledgements Introduction: Republican Values and The Depenalization of Sodomy in France It Could Have Been Worse (1940s-1960s) Attempts at Subversion (The 1970s) French Homosexuals Build a More Stately Closet (1980s-2000s) 'Outing' the French Gay Media (1990s and 2000s) Conclusion: Queer, Made in France Bibliography Index

'...well illustrated with archive material, interviews, and discourse analysis, is fully accessible to anglophone readers, and will no doubt appeal to readers in French studies as well as comparative sexuality and gender studies.' - French Studies

SCOTT GUNTHER is Assistant Professor of French at Wellesley College, USA. He received his B.A. from Cornell in 1990, his J.D. from NYU in 1993, and his Ph.D. in French Studies from NYU in 2001. His research interests include gender and sexuality in France, the mass media, and comparative law.